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Have fun at PAX this weekend, nerds! Look out for Bitmob's Sebastian Haley, Layton Shumway, and Omri Petitte. Totally wish I was with you all!
News Blips:
Microsoft secures Skyrim DLC as a timed exclusive for Xbox 360. If you were planning on picking up the newest Elder Scrolls for PS3 or PC, you may want to take a second to consider today’s announcement. Eventually, all versions of the game will receive every piece of DLC, but the Xbox 360 will get the first two add-on packs 30 days before Bethesda releases them for other platforms. Obviously, money exchanged hands, and this isn’t new. Microsoft secured a similar agreement for the Call of Duty games and Grand Theft Auto 4. If I had that kind of money, I would make the lunch line at Chipotle exclusive to me until at least noon. [ShackNews]
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will feature cross-platform multiplayer. The newest shooter in the Counter-Strike series is on its way to PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, PC, and Mac. That doesn’t mean PC gamers can’t have fun shooting their PSN friends in the face. Valve is breaking down barriers and ending platform segregation. Players with one version will be able to challenge players on another…except for Xbox Live. It isn't clear if Valve can't implement this feature on XBLA because of the lack of Steamworks support, or if it was a conscious choice to reserve this feature for the more open and friendly Sony. Hey, at least Xbox is getting the game. It could be worse…ask Nintendo.
The Razer Blade gaming laptop features extreme specifications, 10 dynamic keys, and an LCD multitouch panel for $2800. “Today, there hasn’t been a single PC laptop that anyone has been passionate about for the longest time,” said Razer CEO Liang Tan. “It’s not because there’s no innovation, but [because] the big PC guys just don’t want to innovate anymore.” Tan isn’t just talking the talk, his company is walking the walk. The Razer Blade is filled to the brim with powerful gaming-worthy specs in a form factor that’s less than an inch in height. The screen that doubles as a touchpad can share information from the game, and users can set the dynamic buttons to perform specific spells or actions depending on the title. At $2800, it isn’t for everybody, but for the dedicated PC gamer this could be an exciting development. I just hope that the "Razer Blade" name won't scare away PC gaming's many neck beards. [Ars Technica]
Halo 4’s Warthog will be an Easter Egg in Forza 4. Microsoft is working that promotion synergy something fierce with the announcement that Halo’s most iconic vehicle will be available in the publisher’s premiere racing game. Fans won't unlock the ride easily or even be able to drive it. Wait, then what can gamers do with Master Chief’s favorite weapon on wheels? They can use the Kinect to get a good look at it in Forza’s Autovista viewer mode. It’s kind of a shame that we won’t be able to take that rear-mounted turret onto Nurburgring though. [Wired]
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